SHSU Cruises for a Solution to Campus Traffic Problems

While the distress of finding a parking spot is causing headaches at college campuses nationwide, Sam Houston State University is presenting their students with a potential remedy to relieve future parking and transportation woes.

AlterNetRides is a free ride-sharing service that was launched last week by the Department of Parking and Transportation, a section of the SHSU Public Safety Department.

Accessible to anyone with a SHSU e-mail account, AlterNetRide’s web-based, carpooling service is an economically viable and convenient transportation option for students, while also helping SHSU reduce campus traffic and parking.

“AlterNetRides is especially beneficial for students who commute to the university from surrounding cities,” said David Kapalko, assistant director for SHSU parking and transportation.

The new program allows students to connect with other SHSU students, faculty and staff in their local area to potentially give those with limited transportation additional ways to travel to campus.

“With a large number of students driving from Willis, Conroe, Spring, The Woodlands, College Station, and other areas daily, AlterNetRides will allow them to save money as well as have a way to travel should they have transportation issues, such as a vehicle in the shop,” said Kapalko.

Other schools using AlterNetRides include many of the Texas A&M and University of Texas system campuses, as well as Texas State University- San Marcos and University of Houston.

The main long-term goal of offering AlterNetRides at SHSU is that it will eventually reduce the number of single-occupancy trips to campus, thereby reducing parking demand, according to Kapalko.

To sign up for AlterNetRides, participants must have a valid SHSU e-mail address and visit the Parking and Transportation web page at http://www.shsu.edu/~upd_www/parktrans then click on the “Alternative Transportation” link.

For more information, contact SHSU Parking and Transportation at 936.294.2505 or parktrans@shsu.edu.

The SHSU Parking and Transportation office is located at the Sam South Complex, 2424 Sam Houston Ave. and is open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.